Automatic aerial target releasing device



March 25, 1952 LE ROY s. JESSEN AUTOMATIC AERIAL TARGET RELEA Filed March 28, 1950 SING DEVICE 2 SHEETS-SHEET l INI ENTOR. [560/ .5. Jffijf/V March 25, 1952 LE ROY s. JESSEN 2,590,103

2 SHEETSSHEET 2 JNVENTOR. 5 5 15607 5. J5 5f Patented Mar. 25, 1952 AUTOMATIC AERIAL TARGET RELEASIN G DEVICE Le Roy S. J essen, Dayton, Ohio Application March 28, 1950, Serial No. 152,435

4 Claims.

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the United States Government for governmental purposes without payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to mechanism for releasing tow targets from the end of the tow line of an aircraft.

Target towing aircraft are equipped with a towing cable which is wound on a drum, means being provided to control the drum to pay out cable as desired. The target is usually secured to the end of the tow cable and launched from a suitable opening in the aircraft but may be launched by dragging it off the ground.

After a target has been launched, cable is payed out to a predetermined length, means being provided to prevent further unwinding by the pull of the target being towed when the predetermined length is reached. A number of targets may be carried on the tow plane, the number depending on the number of targets about to be towed on the particular mission.

When the mission involving the first target is completed the used target must be replaced by a new one, and, since it is impractical to provide power enough to reel the cable in against the air drag and hazardous to attempt to pull the target back into the towing plane, means are provided to release the used target from the end of the tow line.

The mechanism for releasing a used target from the end of the tow line without reeling the tow line and target in, comprises two main units, one a hook assembly fast on the end of the towing cable which, when closed, fastens the target to the end of the tow line and the other a ringand-sleeve assembly which consists of a short length of cable with a wishbone shaped fork at one end in which a ring is pivotally mounted and a sleeve at the other end, the sleeve being in the form of a miniature target.

One or more ring-and-sleeve assemblies are threaded onto the tow cable before it is reeled out with a target attached to it, so that, when the mission of the towed target is complete, a ring-and-sleeve assembly is released, the sleeve pulling the ring along the tow cable until the ring strikes the release mechanism which opens the hook assembly whereby the target is released.

After the used target is released, no great difficulty is experienced in reeling in the tow cable with the hook assembly attached thereto and the ring of 'the ring-and-sleeve assembly surrounding and held by the hooks of the hook assembly, the air drag of the sleeve being suflicient to keep 2 i the tow cable stretched when it is reeled back 1n.

Having reeled in the tow cable with the hook assembly attached and with the ring of the ringand-sleeve assembly surrounding the hook assembly, a new target is secured to the book assembl by removing the ring from around the hook assembly and the operation of sending out a new target and releasing it after it is used, is repeated.

An object of the invention is to provide a device of the character above described which is simple in construction, inexpensive to produce and effective in operation.

I attain the above and other objects in the embodiment of the invention hereinbefore disclosed, reference being had to the drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is an assembly side view of an embodiment of the invention herein disclosed with the hook assembly in holding engagement with a tow target and with a ring-and-sleeve assembly about to be sent out along the towing cable to release the target while in flight.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 except that the hook assembly is shown as having been released by the ring-and-sleeve assembly.

Fig. 3 shows the hook assembly to an enlarged scale.

Fig. 4 is similar to Fig. 3 but with the ring on the hook assembly in releasing position.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of the ring and releasing sleeve assembly.

Like reference characters refer to throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawing and particularly to Fig. 1, an aircraft I0 is equipped with a drum 12 upon which a cable [4 is wound. A clevis I6 is fast on the trailing end of the cable.

Attached to the trailing end of the clevis i6 is a hook assembly I8 which comprises identical hook arms 20 each of which carries a target releasing hook 22 and a ring-and-sleeve retaining hook 24.

The hook arms 20 are hinged together between the arms vof the clevis [6 by a bolt 26, whereby, when the ring retaining hooks 24 are brought together a predetermined distance, the target releasing hooks 22 are drawn apart and the link 21, to which the target 29 is attached by a link 3| is ejected as seen in Fig. 2.

An arcuate groove 28 is cut in a thickened portion 30 of each hook arm 20, the groove in each hook arm being of half the required depth to contain the expansion spring 32, whereby, when the like parts two hook arms are hinged together as by the bolt 26, the spring will be freely contained half in each hook arm. Pins 34 are arranged one fast to one arm and free in the other member at one end of the arcuate groove and the other fast to the other arm and free in the first said member at the other end of the arcuate groove. The

pins 34 are flattened where the spring 32 bears against them. The length of the arcuate groove 28 and spring 32 determines the amount that the ring retaining hooks 24 may be pressed together.

The ring-and-sleeve assembly 36 comprises a ring 38 pivoted at opposite points 48 in a wishbone shaped fork 42 and a short length of cable 44 with a cable end 46 at the leading end, the cable end 46 being connected to the wishbone shaped fork by a, link 43. A screw 58 fastens the link 48 to the wishbone shaped fork 42 the several parts 42, 48, 46 and 50 forming a universal joint between the ring 38 and the sleeve 52. The sleeve 52 is attachedto the rear end of the cable. The ring 38 should be of such diameter that it may be passed on or off the arms 28 of the hook assembly I8 only when the ring retaining hooks 24 of the hook assembly l8 are pressed together to the limit allowed by the spring 32, i. e., until the spring coils come solid one against the other, and the hooks 24 should then be so spaced that the ring 38 must be nested in one hook 24 while an opposite point on the ring is being passed over the tip of the other hook 24.

The operation of the invention disclosed may preferably be carried out as-follows:

With the hook assembly [8 reeled in, the hooks 24 are manually pressed together to the limit allowed by the spring 32. The ring 38 of a ringand-sleeve assembly 36 is next put over the hooks 24 by nesting one side of the ring in one hook and passing the other side of the ring over the tip of the other hook. The ring-and-sleeve assembly is then withdrawably supported on the plane in any suitable manner, the main cable l4 passing through the ring.

The ring-and-sleeve retaining hooks 24 are again pressed together manually to thereby open the target release hooks 22 between which a link 21 is held and the hooks 24 are allowed to spread apart which closes the hooks 22 around the link, whereby a target 23 is attached read for the mis- After a target has been subjected to the intended gunfire test it is ready to be dropped. The ring 38 which still surrounds the main cable I4 is therefore released whereby the sleeve 52 draws the ring 38 along the main cable I4 and up over the arms 28 of the hook assembly l8, whereby the target releasing hooks 22 are opened and the target link 21 ejected. Due, however, to the hooks 24, the ring 38 of the ring-and-sleeve assembly 36 is retained and is thereafter reeled in with the hook assembly l8. This completes the first cycle.

The ring-and-sleeve assembly 36 is now again withdrawably positioned in the aircraft as seen in Fig. 1, the main cable l4 passing through the ring 38 as before, and a target 29 is again attached to the hooks 22 of the hook assembly I8, reeled out, subjected to gunfire and dropped, then the empty hook assembly reeled in along with the ring-andsleeve assembly as before explained. This will complete the second cycle.

In the explanation of the operation above given, only one ring-and-sleeve assembly 36 is employed, it is noted, however, that it may prove advantageous to string several ring-and-sleeve assem blies 38 one upon the other with the rings surrounding the main cable l4 in case one assembly 36 failed to release a used target a second assembly 36 could be sent out to complete the release, or in an extreme case a weighted ring may be necessary to effect the release.

Having described an embodiment of my invention, I claim:

1. The combination, in a target releasing device, of a cable drum, a main cable windable on said drum, a clevis fast on the trailing end of said main cable, a pair of angularly spaced hook arms hinged at the leading ends between the arms of the clevis, a ring-and-sleeve assembl comprising a ring normally positioned to surround saidmain cable and adapted to be drawn along said main cable and forced over said angularly spaced hook arms to reduce their angular spacing, and a sleeve attached to said ring by a short cable, a wishbone shaped fork spanning the outside of said ring and pivoted at opposite points thereon, swivel means connecting said wishbone shaped fork to said cable, a pair of ring retaining hooks on the outside of said arms near the free end, a pair of target releasing hooks on the inside of said arms near the hinge end, whereby, when the ring is drawn over the hook armsbythe sleeve, the target releasing hooks are spread apart ,to release the target and the ring is retained by the ring retaining hooks, resilient means to force the free ends of said hook arms apart, and stop means to prevent the angular spacing -of said arms being changed beyond a predetermined value.

2. The combination, in a target releasing device, of a main cable, means for paying out or drawing in said cable, a clevis fast on the trailing end of said main cable, a pair of angularly spaced hook arms hinged at the leading ends between the arms of the clevis, a ring-and-sleeve assembly comprising a ring normally positioned to surround said main cable and withdrawably supported on said aircraft and adapted to be drawn along said main cable and forced over said angularly spaced hook arms to reduce their angular spacing, and a sleeve attached to said ring by a short cable, a wishbone shaped fork spanning the outside of said ring and pivoted at opposite points thereon, swivel means connecting said wishbone shaped fork to said cable, a pair of ring retaining hooks on the outer edge of said arms near the free end, a pair of target releasing hooks on the inner edge of said arms near the hinge end, whereby, when the ring is drawn over the hook arms by the sleeve, the target releasing hooks are spread apart to release the target and the ring is retained by the ring retaining hooks, resilient means to force the free ends of said hook arms apart, and stop mean-s to prevent the angular spacing of said arms being changed beyond a predetermined value.

3. The combination, in a target releasing device for a target towing airplane, of a main cable. means on said airplane for paying out or drawing in said main cable, a pair of angularly'spac'ed hook arms connected at the leading ends to the trailing end of said main cable, a ring-and-sleeve assembly comprising a ring normally positioned to surround said main cable and removably supported on said airplane and adapted to be drawn along said main cable and forced over said angularly spaced hook arms to reduce their angular spacing, and a sleeve attached to said ring bya short cable for pulling said ring along :said main cable, a wishbone shaped fork spanning the outside of said ring and pivoted at opposite points thereon, swivel means connecting said wishbone shaped fork to said cable, a pair of ring retaining hooks on the outer edge of said hook arms near the free end, a pair of target releasing hooks on the inner edge of said arms near the hinge end, whereby, when the ring is drawn over the hook arms by the sleeve, the target releasing hooks are spread apart to release the target and the ring is retained by the ring retaining hooks, resilient means to force the free ends of said hook arms apart, and stop means to prevent the angular spacing of said arms being changed beyond a predetermined value.

4. Target releasing mechanism for a target towing airplane having a main cable and means to pay out or draw in said main cable, said release mechanism comprising a pair of identical hook arms hinged together at the leading ends and secured to the trailing end of the main cable,

spring means to spread said arms to increase their angular spacing, stop means to limit the angular spacing of said arms, a ring-and-sleeve assembly comprising a ring loosely surrounding said main cable and a sleeve universally connected to said ring, whereby said sleeve may be launched to draw said ring along said cable and over the angularly spaced arms to decrease their angular spacing, a pair of outwardly curved ring retaining hooks at the trailing ends of said arms, a pair of inwardly curved target release hooks nearer the leading ends of said arms, said hooks being so formed and positioned on said arms that when the angular spacing of the arms is at maximum, the target release hooks are in the target holding position and when the angular spacing of the arms is at minimum, the target release hooks are in the target releasing position, the ring being of such diameter that when it decreases the angular spacing until it is arrested by said outwardly curved hooks said target holding hooks will be released.

LE ROY S. JESSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,134,987 Shorb Nov. 1, 1938 2,487,055 Jessen Nov. 8, 1949 2,492,154 Jessen Dec. 27, 1949 

